Door latch



H. B- LINDSAY.

Mar. 13, 1923.

DOOR LATCH, man MN. 25. 19 2- Patented Mar. I3, 1923.

IAQMBZ HARVEY B. LINDSAY, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE DRY-ZERO CORPORATION, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

DOOR LATCH.

Application filed. January 25, 1922. Serial No. 531,555.

To all w ham it may concern Be it known that I, HARVEY B. LINDSAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Latches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved latch for doors, particularly refrigerator doors, constructed with a minimum number of parts to automatically hold a door tightly and effectively closed when it is shut and to be readily disengaged by one to open the door.

Referring to the annexed drawing in which my invention is illustrated and which forms a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a front view of my latch applied to a door shown disengaged in full lines and engaged in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a side view of my latch shown disengaged.

In the drawing 1 indicates a base secured to a door by screws 2, from which base extends a stud 8 on which a latch lever 4 is fulcrumed. A latch arm 5 projects from the hub of the lever 4: at an angle of substantially sixty degrees to the lever. The lever f is bent forwardly at 6 so that the upper portion thereof rests forwardly of the lower part. On the upper end of the lever is a spherical weight 7 A lug 8 projects forward-1y from the upper edge of the base 1 against which strikes the arm 5 whereby the disengaging movement of the lever is limited. A latch engaging member 10 is secured to the door frame opposite the latch lever 4. Said latch engaging member comprises a base 11, a latch guide cam 12, and a cam latch engaging member 13; said cam 12 extending upwardly and forwardly at an angle from the upper edge of said base, and the latch engaging member 13 extending forwardly from the lower part at the right edge of said base and being formed with a rear cam edge 14 extending upwardly and forwardly at a slight angle from the lower part of the member to a point forwardly of and on a level with the base of the cam 12. The latch engaging member 10 is secured to the frame at the side of the door by screws 15 extending through the base 11 of said member.

When the latch is disengaged the latch lever l rests at an angle slightly to the left with the latch arm 5 engaging the lug 8 and the upper end of the arm just under the upper left portion of the guide cam 12. IVhen the door is closed the end of the arm 5 engages the cam 12 and swings the lever 41- over the center of gravity to the right and the weight 7 of the lever swings the lever the rest of the way to the right until the latch arm 5 binds firmly against the cam surface 14: and holds the door tightly closed as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. A little downward pressure on the lever will cause the arm 5 to bind more tightly against the cam surface and hold the door closed more tightly.

The latch is disengaged by swinging the lever 41; upwardly to the left, duringwhich operation the arm 5 engages cam 12 and forces the doorslightly forwardly giving the door its initial opening movement so that it may be readily opened by pulling forwardly on said lever.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A door latch including a latchlever and a latch engaging member, a latch arm on said lever extending at an angle thereto, a guide cam on the upper end of said latch engaging member, a lug, a weight on said lever for holding said lever in disengaged position against said lug and under said cam, a cam latch engaging member extending forwardly and upwardly from the far edge of said latch engaging member to a point forwardly of the base of said guide cam, and a cam surface on the rear edge of said cam latch engaging member against which said arm is swung by the engagement of said arm with said guide cam when the lever 'is swung inwardly by the door.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARVEY B. LINDSAY. 

